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Mother, May I?
by Teepa Snow MS, OTR/L
,
FAOTA
For FTD - Frontal Variant (FTD-fv), asking and getting permission to do things is often a REAL problem. "Can I, do (something)?" is a very different question than "Is it OK if I do (something)?".
My perception of my ability to complete a task or form and maintain a relationship is typically different than your perception. My ability to use your cues is compromised, and my performance varies from moment to moment, based on initiation, sequencing, termination, and transition skills. But there is so much more to it.
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Letting my Ruby Shine
Recognizing moments of inertia in myself
related to tough conversations
by Amanda Snow Bulgarelli,
COO & PAC Mentor
Think about a time when there was an impending conversation that you truly did not want to have... the birds and the bees, menstruation, peer pressure, prenuptial agreement, divorce, the list goes on and on. We as people have an incredible ability to find anything else that needs to be done before we take on something like a talk with a teenager about sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll - my son is only 1 ½ and I'm already dreading this day. Incredibly, our brain actually changes in that time before the conversation. For me, I go straight to a Ruby GEMS® state.
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Frontotemporal Dementia Resources for Care Partner Support
by Sharon Hall,
Certified Caregiving Consultant
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is not something you can do "alone." I call the FTD care partner community a forest of redwoods, because redwood trees only stand tall because their fine, hair-like roots intertwine to hold each other up, much like those in the FTD care partner community.
Turning to Alzheimers support groups for help leaves you feeling like you do not belong, as the symptoms of FTD are so different than Alzheimers. Because of FTD being a smaller community, many areas do not have a specific FTD support group. This is when you can turn to the internet for support.
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Save 15%
!
Save on PAC Content Cards!
PAC Content Cards may be your secret key to unlocking the puzzles often presented in Dementia Care!
Content Cards are available in three sets: Teepa's GEMS, Teepa's Hand Cards, and Teepa's Six Pieces of the Puzzle.
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Buy any PAC Content Card set and
Save 15% on your WHOLE ORDER*!!"
COUPON CODE:
ODJMAY18
Enter at checkout!
* Discount does not apply to Posters, Companion Cards, Webinars, Streaming content, or DVDs sold by Pines of Sarasota Education & Training Institute. US and Canada only.
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Lauren with a Side of Lewy
Perspectives of Living with Lewy Body Dementia
by Lauren U, PAC Core Team
These days I mostly choose to remain silent. It's easier. Some people struggle against the difficulty of deciphering topics or conversations. I decided to just let it go, I zone out or I tune out. I never want to be rude. I follow your face and gestures. The content is not relevant. The interactions and relationships are.
My best forms of communication involve humor or strong emotional content. Authentic and friendly smiles are good. Hugs with my most special people are the best. When there are too many words, there are too many words. I cannot follow. When I try to find my words they are not always available.
I may be silent but I'm not unaware.
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Massachusetts Welcomes Teepa Snow!
by Emily Kearns, PhD, MBA
Project Manager for Dementia Friendly Massachusetts
Massachusetts is one of many states growing dementia-friendly communities so that individuals living with dementia can live well, in their community, feel welcomed, included, and supported, and experience a quality life. As part of a national and global dementia-friendly social movement, Dementia Friendly Massachusetts (DFM) invites people from all walks of life and all community sectors to show up for dementia, rather than run from it, and help reframe it through education, training, innovative programming, and cross sector community and culture-change initiatives. Memory cafes and dementia-friendly programs focusing on the arts, nature, fitness, travel, and more are proliferating! Even a dementia-friendly cruise departs this May from Boston to Nova Scotia, offering engaging dementia-friendly activities, excursions, and respite.
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Right on Cue!
by Mary Sue Wilkinson,
Founder - Singing Heart to Heart
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It's About the Journey
by
Rosemary Apol-Hoezee & Lynn Bolt,
PAC Independent Certified Trainers & Coaches
Asheville, North Carolina: Think two steamy days in late summer. Think two women with sweaty palms and rapid heartbeats. This is where we began PAC Trainer Certification, the first step of our journey. Except we thought our journey would be a 5K run, maybe even a brisk walk. Little did we know, we were beginning a long distance marathon.
Our organization had received a grant to effect fundamental change in the way staff cared for people living with dementia. We were appointed to lead the charge. Once we received our trainer certification, we hit the ground running with multiple sessions of Normal Aging vs Not Normal Aging.
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Looking Through Ruby Eyes
A Meditation
by Reverend Linn Possell,
PAC Lead Mentor Coach
Our identity does not depend on the role that we play or the power that it gives us. Our identity is given value by the simple fact that we have been given life. Therefore when someone lives with Ruby brain change, we must be careful to remember that there are many things that are inherently beautiful about a Ruby, and when we look carefully, closely, and respectfully at a Ruby we can find some very important insights about life. One of the things that someone living with Ruby brain change is able to do and can both remind, and teach, is to focus on that which is right in front of us.
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Animal Assisted Therapy and Dementia
by Pam Osbourne, Animal Assisted Therapy Specialist, Author - "Connections: Animal Assisted Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias"
When my mom was first diagnosed with dementia, my dog Rufus and I had been an animal assisted therapy team for six years. During that time Rufus and I worked in hospitals, schools, libraries, etc. assisting a variety of people who were struggling with various problems ranging from cancer, to kids with reading deficiencies, and autism. But we had never worked with the dementia community. So when my mom was diagnosed, it didn't occur to me that Rufus and I might be able to make a difference in her life, too. And as it turned out, it made an astounding difference.
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Accepting Change
by Laurie Scherrer, Blogger
Like the waves hitting the beach, life is constantly changing and we are constantly changing with it. Change is an inevitable part of life. We develop, we age. We cry, we laugh. We dislike, we love. And as our lives transform, we either try to deny or resist the change, take action to modify the change, and/or we embrace the transformation and work with (or through) it.
Although there are many things in our lives we can take control of, not all changes can be modified. Not all changes are welcome. There will always be people, circumstances, occurrences, and events that we don't like and don't want to have invade our perfect world.
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Community Product Highlight: Ahlov
by Jodie Willobee,
President & Co-Founder, Ahlov
You just dropped your daughter at soccer practice and are racing across town to scoop up your youngest son from trombone lessons but first need to stop at the store and get a present for the birthday party your oldest son is going to tomorrow. Did he say Joey liked Legos or Star Wars??!! And in this midst of daily life, you realize you forgot to call Mom and make sure she took her diabetes medication this afternoon! Then the reality of how you really feel floods over you: guilt, frustration, stress, hopelessness, etc. For the 45+ million care partners across the nation, some version of this scenario probably rings true.
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Upcoming International Events
Here is a short and sweet look at what's happening in the United Kingdom this summer:
London
or
Certification Courses
Wolverhampton
Champion Skills Days
Wales
(Prior PAC experience required)
For questions, please contact the
International Events Coordinator, Courtney,
via
email or by phone at +1 412 337 3954.
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Working with someone who has only gross motor skills and big movements can frustrate many people, so we still try to use words, gestures, and tasks that have little or no meaning for the person we are trying to help. In this session, we will work on adapting our efforts to better match what we are noticing and offer care in ways that are less confusing, overwhelming, and distressing.
When working with someone in a Ruby state, it is vital to appreciate little whispers, movements, and signals. Creating pleasure will not always result in the BIG win, but it can have some amazing results when your expectations change. This session will help you consider that option.
When someone is living with Frontal Lobe Dementia, early signs appear to be more related to personality changes, poor judgment, and impulsivity, rather than traditional memory problems. This combined with a younger age for onset can result in legal, financial, and social support issues that make typical places and types of care a BAD match. This session will help us explore the condition and talk through what options might help.
Having looked at frontal lobe and temporal lobe conditions, this session will explore the combination. Traditionally referred to as Picks disease, this combo can create some of the most amygdala driven relationships among the people who are involved. In this session we will discuss insider supportive strategies to help everyone involved optimize safety and well-being while still seeing the person on the other side as valuable.
When symptoms of dementia begin to make themselves known, not everyone notices at the same time and in the same way. It is typical that one person may try to help another person see the same thing or acknowledge the change. With dementia, one possibility is that the person who is closest to the change will simply not be aware of it or that person may be intensely aware. The greatest challenge faced by most people is how to effectively and empathetically address the topic. This session will review some of the most common errors and provide possible options that improve possibilities of better outcomes.
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Upcoming Events
May 22, 2018
Saratoga Springs, NY
May 24, 2018
Maumee, OH
June 4, 2018
St. Louis, MO
June 7, 2018
Salt Lake City, UT
June 12, 2018
Auburndale, MA
June 21, 2018
Minneapolis, MN
June 25, 2018
Richland, WA
July 2, 2018
United Kingdom
July 16, 2018
Oakmont, PA
July 19, 2018
Baltimore, MD
July 20, 2018
Baltimore, MD
July 24, 2018
Highlands Ranch, CO
July 25, 2018
Storm Lake, IA
July 25, 2018
Live on YouTube
July 26, 2018
Denver, CO
July 30, 2018
Seattle, WA
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Now Accepting Submissions
Do you have a story to share?
Your stories help us learn and
grow. We cannot do what we do without you!
This is an open invitation to all people living with dementia, care partners, and professionals.
Contact us
today if you would like to submit an article or video for the
Online Dementia Journal.
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Book your event today for staff training, family nights, professional referral source events, or refresher workshops
.
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Would you like your staff to be able to learn from Teepa Snow, 24/7?
is now offering Teepa Snow programs on its Group Training Website!
Each of your staff members can get their own online video account, with videos selected by you!
Be their "Online Group Leader" and monitor their activity, course completion, and quiz results* (where applicable).
Click below to learn more!
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Be Brave Enough To Start A Conversation That Matters
CLICK HERE
To Learn More
About
Caring Conversations
and the
Caring Conversations
Tool Kit
Upcoming Events:
June 12, 2018
Auburndale, MA
(CEs available for Nurses and Social Workers)
October 17th, 2018
SAVE THE DATE!
Portsmith, NH
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PAC Training increases awareness, knowledge, and confidence among care staff and educates resident families.
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Becoming Dementia Aware
Would you like to learn how to begin changing your approach and interactions to better serve those living with dementia?
Learn from the comfort of your own home! Sign up today to experience Becoming Dementia Aware. In this three hour online course, Teepa takes you through the areas of the brain affected by dementia and introduces skills and strategies for better ways to care.
The course is broken down into nine sections and includes the following topics: Diving Deeper into Dementia, Better Ways to Care, Seeing and Responding to the Changes, Greet Before You Treat, Positive Physical Approach (PPA), Skills In Depth, After PPA, Caring for All, and Content Review
Whether you're a professional or family care partner, this content will help you begin to change your approach with people living with dementia.
Enrollment Fee: $100
After completing the course, you have the option of signing up for remote/virtual coaching with a PAC Mentor to help reinforce the newly learned content and practice Positive Physical Approach™ and Hand-under-Hand®.
Mentoring Fee: $65/hour
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Teepa Snow,
Today's Voice for Dementia
Teepa is an advocate for those living with dementia and has made it her personal mission to help families and professionals better understand how it feels to be living with dementia related challenges and change. Her company, Positive Approach, LLC was founded in 2005 and offers education to family and professional care partners all over the world. Her goal? Making a difference...one mind at a time.
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Click Here to access the
Online Dementia Journal archives!
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